Today in Country Music , May 23

On this day in 2011, Brad Paisley's This Is Country Music hit stores… the album features "Old Alabama" as well as the top five title track.

Today in 2001, Tim Mcgraw and Kenny Chesney were found not guilty on all charges stemming from Kenny's infamous unauthorized horse ride backstage during the George Strait Country Festival in Buffalo, New York.

Rosanne Cash's "Seven Year Ache" became her first number one single in 1981.

And on this day in 1977, Waylon Jennings had the #1 tune in the country with "Luckenbach, Texas (Back To The Basics Of Love)."

“Luckenbach, Texas (Back To The Basics Of Love)” was released in April 1977, at the height of outlaw country on the hit album Ol' Waylon. It was written by Chips Moman and Bobby Emmons.  It reached #1 on the country charts on May 21, 1977 staying there until June 25, 1977. It also reached #25 on the pop charts while causing Ol' Waylon to reach the top of the country album charts and #15 on Billboard Top LPs and Tapes chart.

The song references a couple whose position in "high society" has placed strains on their marriage ("this successful live we're livin' got us feudin' like the Hatfields and McCoys") and finances ("four-car garage, and we're still buildin' on"). Jennings suggests that the couple return to "the basics of love" and relocate to the small town of Luckenbach, Texas.

Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) Jennings began playing guitar at eight and began performing at twelve on KVOW radio. He formed a band, The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV, KYTI and KLLL. In 1958, Buddy Holly arranged Jennings' first recording session, of "Jolie Blon" and "When Sin Stops (Love Begins)". Holly hired him to play bass. During the Winter Dance Party Tour, in Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly chartered a plane to arrive to the next venue. Jennings gave up his seat in the plane to J. P. Richardson, who was suffering from a cold. The flight that carried Holly, Richardson and Ritchie Valens crashed, on the day later known as The Day the Music Died. Following the accident, Jennings worked as a D.J in Coolidge, Arizona and Phoenix. He formed a rockabilly club band, The Waylors. He recorded for independent label Trend Records, A&M Records before succeeding with RCA Victor after achieving creative control of his records.

During the 1970s, Jennings joined the Outlaw movement. He released critically acclaimed albums Lonesome, On'ry and Mean and Honky Tonk Heroes, followed by hit albums Dreaming My Dreams and Are You Ready for the Country. In 1976 he released the album Wanted! The Outlaws with Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser and Jessie Colter, the first platinum country music album. The success of the album was followed by Ol' Waylon, and the hit song "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)". By the early 1980s, Jennings was struggling with a cocaine addiction, which he quit in 1984. Later he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen with Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash. During that period, Jennings released the successful album, Will the Wolf Survive. He toured less after 1997, to spend more time with his family. Between 1999 and 2001, his appearances were limited by health problems. On February 13, 2002, Jennings died from complications of diabetes.

Jennings also appeared in movies and television series. He was the narrator for The Dukes of Hazzard. In 2001 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, which he chose not to attend until later on. In 2007 he was posthumously awarded the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music.